High desert community set to boom with the Brightline West railway
Around 14 miles south of Victorville in the Inland Empire, right on Interstate 15, unincorporated Oak Hills is one of the most expensive communities in the Victor Valley for its access to multi-acre lots. Its single-family ranch-style homes are also priced higher than those in San Bernardino, 32 miles south, but a bit lower than in Riverside, about 50 miles south. Southern California beaches and ski slopes are within about an hour's drive.
Shopping and dining are currently sparse here, but exciting developments are in the works. “Oak Hills is going to be a stop for the Brightline bullet train that’ll travel between Rancho Cucamonga and Las Vegas,” explains Mitchell Stein, a Real Estate Agent with KW College Park. “It usually takes over an hour to reach L.A. County from here, but with the bullet train, it could take 30 minutes, so it’s starting to bring people and development here.” As of early 2025, the Brightline train is slated for completion in late 2028.
Unincorporated Oak Hills is one of the most expensive communities in the Victor Valley thanks to large, multi-acre lots.
Oak Hills is going to be a stop for the currently under construction Brightline bullet train that’ll travel between Rancho Cucamonga and Las Vegas.
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Spacious ranches and lots in Oak Hills
Oak Hills’ median home price as of early 2025 is roughly $630,000, about $20,000 less than in Riverside, but about $200,000 more than in neighboring Victorville and Hesperia. Most local properties are sprawling ranch-style homes built between the 1980s and 2000s, set on 2 to 4 acres of flat desert land. “It’s not uncommon to find wind-powered homes here,” says Stein. “Because Oak Hills is right in front of a mountain pass, wind can just blast through the channel.” Undeveloped lots are also sprinkled throughout the community, often ranging between 2 and 8 acres.
East Oak Hills primarily features single-family homes on one-acre or larger lots.
It’s not uncommon to find wind-powered homes in Oak Hills.
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Off-roading, hot springs and ski resorts nearby
With desert landscapes full of dirt trails, Oak Hills is a popular spot for off-roading. Dune buggies and dirt bikes can be launched into the San Bernardino National Forest from off-highway vehicle areas like Summit and Elliott Ranch. Private ranches in the Oak Hills area invite younger kids to practice horseback riding, and in San Bernardino Mountains immediately south of the city, equestrian trails are popular among locals. “Mountain hot springs are also only 15 minutes away, and the Redwood Lodge at Big Bear Mountain Resort is super close,” says Stein. “A common selling point south of the mountains is that you’re an hour from the beach and an hour from skiing, but in Oak Hills, you’re even closer to the slopes.”
East Oak Hills homes feature horse facilities because of the large lot sizes.
Ski resorts in mountain towns like Big Bear are only a hour away from Oak Hills.
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Hesperia Unified schools and the new Oak Hills High
Oak Hills students are served by the Hesperia Unified School District, which earns an overall score of B-minus from Niche. A-minus-rated Oak Hills High is the top-rated school in the district and one of its newest, having opened in 2009. “What’s so smart about Oak Hills High is that they built it for future growth,” Stein says. “It’s a big, beautiful school without enough kids to fill it because they are planning for the growth.” Oak Hills High receives its highest marks from Niche for the variety of clubs and activities it offers. The Oak Hills Mock Trial team is particularly successful, winning San Bernardino County championships in 2022 and 2023.
Mesquite Trails Elementary School is one of the schools serving Oak Hills.
Oak Hills residents can enjoy a Friday night football game at Oak Hills High School.
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Convenient commutes to Victorville and Ontario
Interstate 15 runs through the center of Oak Hills, leading 14 miles north to Victorville and 50 miles south to Riverside. Victor Valley Transit Authority runs two bus routes between Oak Hills and the rest of the California high desert. Oak Hills’ abundance of dirt trails makes off-highway vehicles a popular mode of transportation within the community. The Desert Valley Hospital Arrowhead Regional Medical Center is 8 miles north, and the Ontario International Airport is 37 miles south.
Brightline West High-Speed Rail Project
Brightline West is currently constructing the country’s first high-speed rail between Rancho Cucamonga and Las Vegas, with a stop located in the center of Oak Hills. Expected to be completed by 2028, the 218-mile route would connect Oak Hills to the greater Metrolink Service between Los Angeles and San Bernardino County. On top of facilitating commutes to L.A., the Brightline West project could bring 1,000 permanent jobs to the area to maintain the railway.
Brightline West is currently constructing the country’s first high-speed rail between Rancho Cucamonga and Las Vegas, with a stop located in the center of Oak Hills.
On top of facilitating commutes to L.A., the Brightline West project could bring 1,000 permanent jobs to the area to maintain the railway.
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Shopping and dining in the high desert
Oak Hills' commercial scene is limited to a handful of strip malls, gas stations and nurseries along Ranchero Road. The closest grocery stores can be found along Hesperia’s Main Street, a mile north. For a wider range of shopping and dining options, Victorville is home to the largest and most popular mall in the high desert, the Mall of Victor Valley. “These days, you can really find everything you need on that side of the mountains,” Stein explains. “There used to be a notion that the high desert was purely remote, but all the development’s started to move this way, so you can find all sorts of things along Interstate 15.
Just north of Oak Hills you'll find a variety of retail stores available in The Mall of Victor Valley.
Oak Hills closest grocery stores can be found along Hesperia’s Main Street.
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Declining crime figures in unincorporated San Bernardino County
Oak Hills is served by the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department. Between 2018 and 2022, SBSD reported decreasing rates of property and violent crime in unincorporated areas like Oak Hills.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
